I agree with the general sentiment of others on this thread (except I have no interest in Android). From my personal experience, I'd recommend a 32GB iPad or Mini at a minimum, as well as the retina display if you can swing the full size iPad. My 3rd Gen iPad has 32GB and it feels a bit cramped so I don't have all of my Accordance modules on it. I'd love the 64GB model, but budget realities did not permit.

I don't mean to distract form the discussion, but I just purchased Accordance for Mac and was curious if I needed to purchase anything else to run Accordance with my modules/add-ons on an iPad. If not, will the license be usable when they release the Windows version? Thanks.

No. You may download the free iOS app for your iPad, then either download your purchased modules directly or by synching with the desktop version (the latter is faster in most cases). Most, but not all modules work on both Accordance for Mac and Accordance for iOS. The generous folks at OakTree let you use the modules on both for a single purchase of the module.

Interests:Contemplative prayer, ecological stewardship, science-fiction, and cat herding are some of my interests.

Accordance Version:12.x

Platforms:Mac OS X, iOS

Posted 18 November 2012 - 09:40 PM

Thanks Michael, that's great news and a very generous offer.

More about the smart way Accordance has done their APP, for example Logos requires the right for any item used on your mobile device to be placed in the cyber cloud. Accordance allow you to install the actual files you own on your other device just as you can install your software on as many computers as you own (although legality means one device only may be using one resource each, i.e.: if you have 14 kids and all are reading the same book at once you are breaking the copyright rules, although generally companies have felt ok with saying two spouses may access the same works at once and indeed some have gone as far as to say the rights do extend to the entire household). We are lucky Accordance was wise enough to go this route though I am sure it made much more work than creating something that is basically a bare reader reading files off a central web server.

More about the smart way Accordance has done their APP, for example Logos requires the right for any item used on your mobile device to be placed in the cyber cloud. Accordance allow you to install the actual files you own on your other device just as you can install your software on as many computers as you own (although legality means one device only may be using one resource each, i.e.: if you have 14 kids and all are reading the same book at once you are breaking the copyright rules, although generally companies have felt ok with saying two spouses may access the same works at once and indeed some have gone as far as to say the rights do extend to the entire household). We are lucky Accordance was wise enough to go this route though I am sure it made much more work than creating something that is basically a bare reader reading files off a central web server.

_dan

I think that's part of the reason we all went with Accordance. There are a few good options out there for serious bible study but Accordance was by far the best total package.

Interests:Contemplative prayer, ecological stewardship, science-fiction, and cat herding are some of my interests.

Accordance Version:12.x

Platforms:Mac OS X, iOS

Posted 21 November 2012 - 01:07 PM

Without doubt Logos has many bells and whistles and a boatload of resources but Accordance is stable works very well and is in most ways far ahead of Logos. I really hate doing much more than a basic passage guide in Logos since even that sometimes leaves me with the spinning coloured beach ball for far took long. In an ideal world Accordance would read Logos resources and i could get rid of it. But for now i will be glad that I can use my resources there and do serious word studies and more in Accordance.

Brand new to Accordance...still waiting on my activation code! I'm excited about using it with my iPad. I have been using my iPad for over 2 years now to preach from. Most recently I have been putting all of my notes in Evernote. I expect I will continue to do that since it is available across multiple platforms and devices, but I'm excited to learn how to integrate Accordance into my weekly sermon prep.

On a related note to this topic, I combined a few gift cards and Christmas money and picked up a new iPad mini a couple of days ago. My goal is to primarily use it strictly as a reader, and I like the fact that it's small enough to fit in my coat pocket.

The first night I had it, I set it to download my entire Accordance library. It was still attempting to this when I woke up the next morning. Not knowing if it was still downloading (most assuredly the case) or hung--there's no real way to know since there's not a status bar in the iOS app for downloads--I simply synced it via wifi, which took a little over an hour.

I can say that the iPad mini makes a great reader and Accordance works just fine on it. The fact that the mini is not a retina display is not a big deal to me yet since I've been using an iPad 2 and have not been used to a retina display on an iPad. In fact, the mini's screen looks a little bit sharper than the iPad 2 because both are 1024 x 768. I can adjust the text size in Accordance and other apps, so the screen is fine for my purposes.

Accordance and my entire library takes up 24.8 GB on my iPad, but I got the 64 GB model, so there's still plenty of room. I plan on downloading as many of my other texts as I can from other apps such as Kindle, Nook and other Bible software. Although I've been a big fan of E-Ink readers, I may end up simplifying just to the iPad mini as my single primary reader. But before I get rid of my E-Ink Kindle and Nook, I'll wait a few weeks to make certain that the iPad mini does everything I need it to.

On a related note to this topic, I combined a few gift cards and Christmas money and picked up a new iPad mini a couple of days ago. My goal is to primarily use it strictly as a reader, and I like the fact that it's small enough to fit in my coat pocket.

The first night I had it, I set it to download my entire Accordance library. It was still attempting to this when I woke up the next morning. Not knowing if it was still downloading (most assuredly the case) or hung--there's no real way to know since there's not a status bar in the iOS app for downloads--I simply synced it via wifi, which took a little over an hour.

I can say that the iPad mini makes a great reader and Accordance works just fine on it. The fact that the mini is not a retina display is not a big deal to me yet since I've been using an iPad 2 and have not been used to a retina display on an iPad. In fact, the mini's screen looks a little bit sharper than the iPad 2 because both are 1024 x 768. I can adjust the text size in Accordance and other apps, so the screen is fine for my purposes.

Accordance and my entire library takes up 24.8 GB on my iPad, but I got the 64 GB model, so there's still plenty of room. I plan on downloading as many of my other texts as I can from other apps such as Kindle, Nook and other Bible software. Although I've been a big fan of E-Ink readers, I may end up simplifying just to the iPad mini as my single primary reader. But before I get rid of my E-Ink Kindle and Nook, I'll wait a few weeks to make certain that the iPad mini does everything I need it to.

Nevertheless, so far, so good.

Sounds like a good move, except for the Retina logic. The moment you read text on a retina device (even your iPhone), you will think non-Retina devices look horrible less than ideal, especially with text. At least that's my experience, and why I definitely would not buy the iPad Mini for reading; at least not this year's model.

*I guess I should downgrade the description there to be a little bit more fair to those that don't mind text on non-Retina devices. : )

Just to help provide a counter opinion to Rick's: though I'm well aware of Retina when using it, I have no problem and don't mind at all seeing non-Retina displays. I've been switching back and forth Retina iPhone to non-Retina mac for a while now, and I'm not even aware of it. Adding in some occasional use of a Retina MBP still doesn't cause me to 'miss' it or bother me when on my non-Retina iPad 2 or non-Retina Mac. Just to provide an alternate opinion; it really depends on the user.

Just to help provide a counter opinion to Rick's: though I'm well aware of Retina when using it, I have no problem and don't mind at all seeing non-Retina displays. I've been switching back and forth Retina iPhone to non-Retina mac for a while now, and I'm not even aware of it. Adding in some occasional use of a Retina MBP still doesn't cause me to 'miss' it or bother me when on my non-Retina iPad 2 or non-Retina Mac. Just to provide an alternate opinion; it really depends on the user.

Good observation. I also do not mind switching back and forth between my Cinema Display (obviously non-Retina) and iPad/iPhone w/ Retina. To me that difference is acceptable.

Sounds like a good move, except for the Retina logic. The moment you read text on a retina device (even your iPhone), you will think non-Retina devices look horrible less than ideal, especially with text. At least that's my experience, and why I definitely would not buy the iPad Mini for reading; at least not this year's model.

*I guess I should downgrade the description there to be a little bit more fair to those that don't mind text on non-Retina devices. : )

Rick,

I might give you friendly disagreement on the issue of the screen. For what it's worth, I initially thought the same thing, too. All the early (rushed) reviews of the iPad mini praised its size, but complained about its price and screen. I suppose these were both easy targets, and a good reviewer of Apple products needs something to complain about these days lest he be called an "Apple fanboy."

Then I noticed that the reviews that were circulating in December sometimes rang a different tune. A lot of people said that in actually using the device for a few weeks, the non-retina screen really didn't matter that much. It wasn't a big deal. The smaller screen size makes it a bit sharper than the iPad 1 & 2 anyway. This more positive take on the screen made me consider the iPad mini again.

As for your second sentence quoted above, maybe I should point out that I have two devices with a retina display already: my iPhone 5 and my MacBook Pro. I agree that the retina display is the best thing to happen to computer screens since color VGA in 1990 or thereabouts. And I agree that everything is moving in that direction. All I'm saying is that the screen resolution (what amounts to 163 ppi) does not seem to be a deal breaker in actual usage of the device--regardless of my use of other higher resolution screens--and has not been an issue for me yet.

We justify our devices don't we? We do that when we upgrade our Macs, our iPads, and our iPhones. "It will make us more productive" we tell ourselves (or our spouses, or our bosses, or our churches). We especially do that when we get a second device. "I'm going to use it primarily as a reader." Well, I would suggest to anyone who's really interested in the form factor of the iPad mini to work out your justification and take a serious look at it. Don't let the screen stand in your way.

And I'm certain that Apple will release an iPad mini with a retina display sometime this year--maybe sooner (I'm hearing crazy rumors about March!), maybe later such as in November, a year after the first ones were released. What I've found to be true, though, is that iPads really hold their value well. I've sold two iPads now and was very pleased with amounts I sold them for. I've no doubt that even after the retina display iPad mini is released, Apple will probably continue to sell the first generation mini at a lower price. So at the very least, an iPad bought now can be "traded up" to a better one later if that's a big deal to someone.

All that's assuming that the upgrade can be justified so quickly again when that time comes :-)

If I could have Accordance on only one device, it would be iPad. The recent update to the app is the best so far, adding several new features. I read and study in the BHS and USB4, and the ease of reading and searching is a dream come true for someone who studies in the original languages. I do agree with the retina display being much better since I have it on my iPad and Macbook Pro. But something I try to do is read a portion of the text just before I go to sleep at night, having the scripture in my mind as I fall asleep. The ability to increase font size and switch to night mode with the iPad makes it so easy to end the day with the lights out and the quiet of the night settling His word in my mind. If you get an iPad and Accordance you wont regret it. God Bless

Interests:a great cup of coffee, sci-fi, jazz and the blues, kayaking, camping, fishing and the great outdoors

Accordance Version:11.x

Platforms:Mac OS X, iOS

Posted 22 January 2013 - 07:02 PM

iOS is currently a really powerful Accordance platform.

Bible texts with apparatuses (whether Greek/Hebrew texts with siglia or modern translations with superscripts) have a real advantage for Accordance users on an iDevice. The apparatus/Bible notes/cross-references modules need to be installed, but need not be displayed in the parallel pane. Tapping on the in-text symbol will open a pop-up with the information in it, so there's no need to waste that parallel pane on it. Put a different module in the pane instead.

It seems like an iPad of any kind is a great way to study and bring Accordance with you to church or anywhere really. I don't have an iPad but was waiting for the rumored iPad Mini Retina this March, turns out it may not be until November due to supply issues. My question is does anyone feel the iPad mini is too small to read for long periods of time and do users of the Retina iPad feel the iPad is too large to bring with them everywhere? My last question is, how do I find out the size of my Accordance library so I can decide what size to get (BTW, I have Accordance 10 Bible Study w/ ESV Study Bible and the NASB95 Bible). Sorry for so many questions. Thanks for your help.

Edit: I think I found all the Accordance files on my Mac and they come to less than 2GB. Folder include /Applications/, ~/Library/Application Support/Accordance/, and ~/Documents/Accordance Files/